The Stephen A. Smith ShowFull Show: Diddy's Mom defends her son. Kill Intentional Walk in Baseball. WNBA NY Liberty stands up!
Stephen A. talks about the historic NBA preseason moment of LeBron and Bronny James sharing the court for the first time. He recaps week five of the NFL, including the Baltimore Ravens overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals, the Washington Commanders at the top of the NFC East, the Pittsburgh Steelers falling to the Dallas Cowboys, and the Buffalo Bills loss to the Houston Texans. He also comments on V.P. Kamala Harris’s media blitz and Janice Combs’ statement about son Sean Combs’ sex trafficking allegations. Also on his mind is the Philadelphia Phillies win against the New York Mets in game two of the NLDS playoffs, the WNBA’s New York Liberty eliminating the Las Vegas Aces, and Shams Charania joining ESPN as Senior NBA Insider.
On The Stephen A. Smith Show, Smith gives you his renowned point of view, breaking barriers beyond the world of sports, and tackling pertinent issues across entertainment, pop culture, society, business, and politics. Three times a week, you'll hear his LIVE unfiltered opinions on the day's biggest headlines as well as straight-shooting interviews with top celebrities, game-changers, and thought leaders across the societal arena. The Stephen A. Smith Show is sure to entertain, inform, and motivate anyone who tunes in.
Damn. I knew it. I knew it.
Season ain't even started it yet and we already talking about Lebron and browny. Okay, that's one subject matter. Another is NFL Weekend. Okay, A whole bunch of whole.
Slewer stories to get into.
There's a presidential nominee that's about to go on the campaign trail. Finally, as far as I'm concerned, and P Diddy's mama God's son to say that she wanted everybody to hear.
I'm listening. I'm listening steven A. Smith Show in the house. Let's row what's up? Everybody.
Welcome to the latest edition of The Steven E. Smith Show, coming at you at the very least three times a week over the digital airways with YouTube and of course iHeartRadio.
As always, I.
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To get yourself a copy. Let's get started with the story.
Lines after the weekend.
We're gonna get started with the NBA, specifically preseason basketball that tipped off this weekend. Several teams were in action, including Lebron James and the Los Angeles Lakers, who took on the Phoenix Sons.
But yesterday was.
Particularly special because we were all witnesses to history. It happened at the start of the second quarter when Bronnie, Lebron's son checked into the game and joined his father on the basketball court. This marked the first time in history that a father and son played together in an NBA game. Here's what Lebron had to say after the game.
The moment and Bronnie's on the cart with you. How did it feel as a father and n AS player.
Uh, not real. Still kind of get a little bit used to it. But it's pretty cool. It's pretty cool for the both of us and especially for our family. For a father, I mean, it means everything. I mean, I mean, for someone who didn't have that, you know, growing up, to be able to be able to have that influence on your kids and have the influence on your son, to be able to have moments with your son, and it ought to me, you know, to be able to work with your son. I think that's one of the greatest things that a father could ever hope for, a wish for. So it's critical were kind of standing next to each other. I kind of looked at him and it was just like, it's not the matrix or something. It just didn't feel real. So, but it was great to have those moments out there with me.
Now here's a deal I've noticed.
I'm sure y'all have noticed that many people have been critical of the fact that Brownie is on the team to begin with, but guess.
What, I'm not one of them.
I want to say this because it's important to point this out. Okay, I will be critical of Lebron James when it's called upon. He is not the goat in my estimation, it will always be Michael Jordan when compared to him.
I have Lebron at number two. That's number one. The other part about all of this is that you.
Know what you want to shoot jump shots instead of going to the hole, you're you're reticent or hesitant to get to the free throw line and critical moments. I'm gonna get on him about that too, which I have in the past. No need to do that now because he ain't scared to do that anymore the way he was earlier in his career. But it doesn't negate the fact that this is one of the greatest players to have ever played the game of basketball. He is on the Mount Rushmore of basketball, and on top of it all, what he has done for the game is immeasurable. And my appreciation for Lebron James, and our appreciation collectively as basketball fans, should always be, as he would state, surreal, to say the least, it is a damn travesty that you got people running their damn mouse acting like it's a problem that he got.
His son on the team.
We're now learning, based off of numerous reports that have come out the last few days, that the Golden State Warriors were contemplating grabbing Ronnie James at the fifty second overall pick, but passed on doing so in order to respect the wishes of Lebron James, because they knew that the Lakers had the fifty fifth pick and that Lebron James is gonna make sure that the Lakers grabbed him. Ladies and gentlemen, lebron has earned this. Bronni has something to prove. Bronnie has something to earn. He's got to put forth the work and the effort over a lengthy period of time to show that he's worthy of being in the NBA.
All of that is true, But in terms of the.
Skids being greased part of the phrase, so Bronni James could be on the Lakers as opposed to another NBA team, why is that a problem?
Coaches do that, executives do it.
There's a whole host of folks throughout the world of sports that facilitate things, that engage in a level of nepotism that we all notice because it's flagrantly obvious.
Are you kidding me? This is Bronnie James, the son of Lebron James.
And when we think about the NBA and what it has become in the seventy six billion dollars eleven year deal they recently signed with various television networks and streaming.
Operations, I got news for you. Is that possible if it were not for Lebron James.
You have any idea what Lebron James has done for the game of basketball, what Lebron James has done for the world of sports, and for him to have his son on the team with him, I got no issues with it whatsoever. I have zero issue with it whatsoever. Lebron James has earned that. Bronni James has something to prove, fair enough, but Lebron James has earned it. He has earned our respect, our reverence, our deference, our appreciation for us.
To look at something that he wants and say, excuse me, can we do that for him? Yes? We can.
Not.
Just the Lakers but NBA fans everywhere.
Yes, we owe it to Lebron James to be receptive and courteous enough to appreciate the fact that he wanted to wear the same uniform playing on the same basketball court.
As his son, and that he did what he could to make that happen.
If he were not so great, if he were not so phenomenal, if he was not such a winner, he would not have been able to put us off. But why was he able to pull us off? Because damnit, he's Lebron James and the rest of us are not. And if somewhere down the line, Steph Curry ends up having a kid that get to the NBA level, and that's what Steph Curry wants, guess what it's worth consideration doing that for him too. Why not when you've meant that much to the league, when you've done that much for the league, when we've spent decades profiting off your greatness.
And there's evidence to show what Lebron James has meant.
Remember when he departed from Cleveland, it cost a billion dollars to the local economy when he was going. That's why they burnt this jersey and effigy That's why they were so disgusted. That's why he was the pariah that he was, because he meant that damn much.
Well, guess what he still does more than a decade later.
And it's because of that that you should have no problem with him facilitating his son having an opportunity to play in the same uniform, on the same team for the same franchise.
As his daddy. And last point, these are the Lakers. It's the most storied franchise in basketball annals, arguably outside of the Boston Celtics. And with that being said, they still needed lebron James to keep them relevant over the last few years. Delivered the title in the bubble, got to a.
Western Conference Finals a couple of years ago, been in the playoffs the last.
Couple of years. He's done a lot. He deserves this.
Bronnie is Bronnie, but it ain't about Bronnie. It's about Braun as in Lovebroun.
He deserves this.
Stand back, fall back, chill a hell out, and let the man do his thing with his son. And let's see how Bronnie develops in the years to come, not this year. In the years to come, theyn't use year one to judge him just because you want to hate on Lebron James. Well, I get more on to Bronnie and Lebron on another day. I mean, after all, that subject ain't going anywhere. I can tell you about that before I get into the NFL Quick Hitters hour of it. Let me talk about something else. If sitting on your sofa is your standard game plan when your favorite event is in town, then I know a better one for you. Why not experience it in person with friends and family. It's time to stop missing out of a live experience at a concert or a sporting event and purchase a ticket to see your favorite team, your favorite player, or.
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Now let's get some quick hitters that stood out from Week five yesterday.
First order of business I'll start with is.
The Baltimore Ravens who beat the Cincinnati Bengals in overtime forty one to thirty eight. Two things became very apparent yesterday. Number One, Lamar Jackson is making some noise. I know a lot of people out there think he's in root for his third MVP Trophy. I'll touch on that in a minute. The second thing is disappearing as actually is how silly the Dallas Cowboys look for passing up.
On Derek Henry.
Let's get to that first order of business first. For those of you who think that Lamar Jackson is in roof to.
His third League MVP, pump the brakes, Pump the brakes.
I say that not because of some absence of greatness on his part, because he was absolutely phenomenal three hundred and forty eight yards passing, twenty six to forty two, four touchdown passes, Okay, fifty five yards rushing, I get it, even though Joe Burrow did.
His thing as well.
Here's the thing that you have to remember when we look at the success of the Baltimore Ravens. Obviously, their defense is leaving a lot to be desired for the most part the season. Thus far, their offense has been prolific, particularly over the last three weeks. We look at Lamar Jackson and we say, damn, he's a big reason as to why that is. Here's the other big reason. How about Derek Henry. Have you seen rushing with the football? He ran for one hundred and fifty one yards against Dallas, ran it for one hundred and ninety nine yards a week later, had a fifty one yards camper in overtime to set up the game winning field goal for them yesterday.
The brother is spectacular.
He's a big boy, he's a man amongst boys at the running back spot, and we know what he brings to the table. That's gonna be the reason why it's going to be hard for you to give Lamar Jackson an MVP.
If Lamar Jackson was flinging.
At football to a wide receiver Allah Tyreek Hill or somebody, and he was catching for eighteen hundred to two thousand yards receiving when somebody threw him the football, so you could give the MVP the Lamar Jackson. But when you handed the ball off to Derek Henry and this brother is running rough shot over the competition and gets what all of a sudden, that changes things because you're handing him the football, So that's going to dilute some of the prowess and the impact that you have towards capturing League MVP. On is yet Again that's my position. But as it pertains to Derek Henry and the Dallas Cowboys, how silly do you look right now if you're the Dallas Cowboys for passing up on Derek Henry.
Let's think about that for a second.
Here we're talking about a situation involving Derek Henry where you're the Dallas Cowboys and you have no running game over the last two weeks. Even though you stopped the run, it was against the Giants and the Steelers. That don't count not much anyway. I would feel a lot better about the Steelers if they had that cab warrant in the backfield with Naji Harris as opposed to just Nag Harris, because it ain't the same. But when you look at the Dallas Cowboys without Michael Parsons, without de Marcus Lawrence, they still beat the Pittsburgh Stealers. Major props to them, but they didn't look good. Dak Prescott was en route to one of his worst games ever before he came to the rescue with that four yard touchdown catch Jolen Talbot. In the end, what it comes down to is this, the Dallas Cowboys could have used a formidable running game that would have relieved Dak Prescott of a lot of responsibilities, which would have been better for him. They didn't do that, which is why we don't assume they're going anywhere. That's one reason. Here's the other. It's going on in Washington, DC, where the Commanders are formed one and on top of the NFC East. The Commanders beat down the Cleveland Browns yesterday, led by rookie quarterback Jaden Daniels, who threw for two hundred and thirty eight yards in one touchdown, also rushed for another eighty two yards and eleven carries. That's a legitimate MVP candidate right there, Jaden Daniels. If you don't know now, you know, they're four and one. They got a lot to prove. But when you consider the fact that the Brothers completed seventy seven percent of his passes, he's already throwing for over eleven hundred yards. He's thrown for just two interceptions on the season.
He's one of the.
Prolific rushers out from behind Senn at the quarterback position in the National Football League.
And they're winning football games.
These Washington Commanders don't look like the same Washington Commanders.
Just think about it for a second. There's no longer Daniel Snyder.
They got a new ownership with Josh Harris and Magic Johnson and their group. Okay, you got a new head coach and Quinn all right, you got a new offensive coordinative of Cliff Kingsbury. You got a star new quarterback in Jaden Daniels who's reminding you of RG three, except he appears to know how to slide and not take on vicious hits like he was doing at LSU. So all of those things spell good times in the Nation's Capitol. We're not accustomed to saying that about the Nation's Capitol, but we gotta change our.
Thinking when we're watching this brother produce. I can tell you that much.
Now let me move on to Pittsburgh, where the steller Is lost to the Cowboys last night twenty to seventeen. Like I told you earlier on Dak Prescott's game win and two touchdown throwing the final seconds, quarterback Justin Fields didn't play particularly well throwing for just one hundred and thirty one yards had a total QB rating of just thirty five point five. Having said all of that, though, I still believe there's no problem with him remaining the starting quarterback for the Pittsburgh Steelers. He is wide because he's not their problem. Where's your running game? It's virtually non existent. As a receiving group, you have a grand total of one touchdown, which is tied for worse than the National Football League. You clearly need another receiver to go alongside George Pickens. Friar Muth and Pickens ain't enough for you. Van Jefferson ain't gonna be enough for you, along with whoever else the hell else you have with the white house spot. The Pittsburgh Steelers need to go out and either get Deontay Johnson back, get a guy like Davonte Adams or somebody else. They need help. They need help at the wide receiver spot. You need somebody that's going to get open. And this cat picking to our light because he's a stud. You can't have some eye black under your eyes saying always efing open.
You can't do that, and then you don't catch the ball.
You had two receptions for about four yards last night until that twenty two yard reception you caught in the fourth quarter.
That's it. That ain't enough. You need more. Still, iss need some.
Help, They need some help with an additional wide out, and they need Warring back from his spraying right knee. When that happens, if your quarterback still looks the same, didn't come talk to me outside of that, whether you keep justin fields in the lineup or you were placing with Russell Wilson. I don't expect much from the quarterback position, and receivers can't get open. It's really that simple. For the last NFL quick hitter, we'll go to Houston, where the Bills lost to the Houston Texans twenty three to twenty. The Bills had the ball deep in their end zone with less than a minute on the clock, and through three consecutive passes feeling to kill tom off the clock, the Texans got the ball back and eventually kicked the game winning fifty nine yard field goal to win it. Sean McDermott looks horrible here.
Simple, you're the coach of the Buffalo Bills. The clock is on your side. You've got the ball at.
Your own five yard line. You know you need time clicking off the clock, and you throw the football all three times. There's no Stefon Diggs there anymore. There's no Gabe Davis there anymore. You got colemen and others, but you don't have all your weapons, and you still put it in Josh Allen's hands to throw the football on three consecutive.
Possessions. That is as bad as it gets.
The only credit Sean McDermott deserves is for acknowledging it and manning up to his mistakes. I don't know what he's thinking of, but I know Bill's mafia and the rest of the fans in Buffalo have grown tired of this man. They are not happy with what they're seeing from him. They are not happy. So somehow, some way, he's not the kind of coach is gonna get fired during the season. But if things keep on this course, don't be surprised if there's a change in Buffalo. You can't waste away the great years of Josh Handlin.
Can't do it, can't do it coming up Sean Diddy Cohone's mother speaks up on his behalf.
But will it help the music mogul currently sitting in jail awaiting his federal sex trafficking and racketeering trial. I'll get into that, but First Vice President Kamala Harris is getting ready to do a media blitz with just four weeks to go before the presidential election.
I'll talk about that and then some stick around. It's the Stephen A. Smith Show in the house, coming your way over the digital areas of YouTube. In the course, I heard radio that would more.
I mean, let me just take a second to make sure that everybody out there knows I'm in it to win it, and I demand nothing short of excellence, no question about that.
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Welcome back to Stephen Espishier right here with the digital areas of YouTube. Let's turn to politics for a quick second here before.
I get into p Diddy.
I'll get into that in a second, but I want to do this politics thing right here because Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, has begun a media blitz.
With just four weeks to go before the election.
Harris and are running Minnesota Governor Tim Walls, are set to appear in a handful of interviews with traditional and new media figures this month. The two sat down with Sixty Minutes for a pair of interviews that will.
Air this week. Harris is also scheduled to sit down.
With The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, The Howard Stern Show, and The View The Media.
Blitz from Harrison Walls comes.
After weeks of criticism from Republicans who've accused the pair of avoiding taking questions from the media. I can't be happier personally speaking. I would like to see them both going to enemy territory because in my opinion, it's real easy to go and sit down with people who are clearly.
In opposition of the other candidate.
So when you are neutral, or you are somebody that is the opposite or or an adversarial adversarial person for the competition, in favor of the competition, I don't have a problem with that because to me, that's where real questions get asked, and nobody can accuse something of being softful. Not saying they're all softball questions, but people can make those accusations, and that's not healthy for a cynical society that's looking for an excuse to point the finger at you that you ain't stepping up, that you ain't embracing competition, that you're not accepting it, you're not doing those things.
I don't like that. I don't like that.
Now I'm gonna sit up there and tell you right now, I've made it a point to highlight the fact. Then I'm gonna vote for Kamala Harris. But I don't sit up there and say to you, I'm not gonna vote for Trump because of politics, Because I believe the world is cyclical. Sometimes you need different things, Sometimes you need different policies compared to what you may need at other times. And the prism of history usually tells us who's more effective as a commander in chief than somebody else. But when I think about Trump, I think about the fact that the presidency is supposed to be about statesmanship. It's supposed to be about galvanizing Americans and bringing us all together for a common cause and making sure we understand that you don't just say America first, we epitomize America first, because we take care of one another.
And when I see any politician only doing that for.
Their constituency, their supporters and saying the hell with everybody else, I get very very concerned. Now, in the case of Kamala Harris. To be fair, what am I saying about her? You got to go out there and do those interviews. Biden wasn't doing interviews. There was no primary. After there was no primary, and he shows up June twenty seventh and wet the bed during the debate against Donald Trump, which ultimately facilitated him stepping out of the race and propelling you to be in the Democratic nominee for the presidency of the United States. You didn't have to go through a primary either, And the last time we saw you in a primary, you.
Couldn't even make it to Iowa. So again, can you stand in the heat?
I believe Kamala Harris can't. I just want to see her show the world she can now.
She did it in the debate. Don't care what anybody said. She smoked Trump.
During that debate, he babbled on where they're eating pets, they're eating dogs, they're eating cats.
Remember that? And he looked ultimately silly, and Kamala Harris had a field day with them. But then JD.
Van showed up in the vice presidential debate against Tim against Tim Walls, and everybody want to say he was lying, He was lying, He was lying about this, he was lying about that, or Tim Wall seemed nervous, nervous, nervous. Here's the reality. Tim Walt's job was to make JD.
Vance look as.
Radical as he had appeared to be in the past, on top of the fact that you had to make him look like not so much of a nice guy, and you didn't do that as a result, that's why this media blitz is necessary. And you're Kamala Harris. You gotta show up and you gotta answer questions whether or not your flip flop? What are your positions, why those positions such as they are, et cetera, et cetera.
What about the economy? What about inflation?
How are you gonna sit up there and tell us that people making under four hundred thousand dollars ain't gonna.
Get taxed extra. But we got trillion, You got trillions of dollars in debt. Why are we gonna pay it back?
These are questions that deserve to be asked and deserve an answer, a truthful answer that allows us to say we agree or we disagree. Now I know that's saying, hey, what about him? Because he never tells the truth, as in Donald Trump, that may be the case, but you have people on the right who have said, hey, he has a record because he's already sat in that seat and we have four years of him.
The world was divisive. He didn't make it any better. It seemed to be chaos. All of those things are true, but in the end they were able to.
Point to an economy that existed before COVID came along and say he did.
All right, So which side are you taking? We don't know. You know how we find out the interviews, interviews that.
Are conducted by folks who are very objective and neutral and piercing and probing in their deliveries, in their presentations to make sure they send the message that this ain't about whether I.
Like you or not.
This is about how much the American people should like you or not. You see who Trump has talked to. You see who Kamala Harris is planning on talking to if she hasn't already.
At some point in time.
A neutral party who doesn't give a shit about our decide is what we're after when it comes to asking these questions.
That's all I'm saying. That's all I'm saying.
Now, let's move on to p Ditty himself. We gotta get to the latest on showing Ditty combs. The music mogul is currently in federal custody awaiting trial on sex trafficking, racketeering, and conspiracy charges. He's pleaded not guilty, not guilty. Meanwhile, his mama Jani's combs. She took to social media yesterday in response to federal allegations levied against her son. Here's just a portion of the statement she released yesterday through her attorney, quote, it is heartbreaking to see my son judged not for the truth before a narrative created out of lies. To be a witness to what seems to be like a public lynching of my son before he has had the opportunity to prove his innocence is a pain too unbearable to put into words. Not being entirely straightforward about one issue does not mean my son is guilty of the repulsive allegations and the grave charges leveled against him. My son is not the monster they have painted him to be, and he deserves the chance to tell his side. I can only pray that I am alive to.
See him speak his truth and be vindicated. End quote. First off to missus Colmbs.
Nobody should dismiss the power of your words and unconditional love you have for your son.
He gave birth to this man.
Everybody, any man knows that has had a wonderful mama in his life, knows about the power that unconditional love from mama brings to any of us.
That's a given.
I miss my mama every day. God rest her wonderful soul. I wouldn't be the man that I am to dead for we're not for her. But in fairness, please understand that these are very serious allegations against your son, and the ain't being It's not being conveyed and disseminated in the court of public opinion for nothing. It's there because the federal government, Homeland Security, raided the homes in Miami and Los Angeles of your son and ultimately arrested him and indicted him on sex trafficking and racketeering charges. We get where you're coming from, and we understand it. But do you know, respectfully, ma'am, how much this falls on deaf ears? And I say that respectfully because you're his mom. There is no one who believes for one second that you would believe there's a shred of guilt that should be attached.
To your son with.
These specific allegations that have been leveled against them.
Nobody's going to believe that.
That's like a mama coming to understand as a character witness, Well, what else do you expect her to say?
Why would she say anything different? It's rare. It's an extreme aberration for one's parents.
To speak publicly against their child when such heinous allegations have been leveled against them.
That is a fact. And the fact that your statement was issued through a lawyer.
Doesn't help because it gives the impression.
That the lawyer, in concert with John Dinny Coles.
Decided to go through you to convey and disseminate a message that dare I say, would be deemed believable, more so in their eyes coming from you than from a lawyer. Not recognizing the love of sentences in that exist in this world today and at the statement coming from.
You is not going to move anybody. Anybody.
That's point number one, number two who's painting p Diddy Cohmbes to be a monster?
The public hasn't We all want to wait and see.
I personally am praying he's innocent in these charges that he's innocent.
Of the allegations that have been leveled against it.
But anybody who's attached to any level of guilt have usually been the.
People he has been associated with. He has done business with.
An individual and Cassie ventory of the ex girlfriend who we saw on video being assaulted by him, or those in his inner circle, including family members who have beenuously quiet. I'm not even bringing up the people in the industry who won't even say anything about him.
They give love and prayers to his family and his loved ones.
Not a single soul outside of Mom has come forward to say he's innocent, innocent, innocent. The closest person to that was Kevin Lyles, who resigned as the CEO I'm sorry. As an executive with Warner Music. He was an outspoken supporter of Diddy, and on the day did he was arrested.
He resigned. So this is not about people painting did he to be a monster?
This is about the federal government saying he is being specific with what they're charging him with, sex traffic in racketeering, and people echoing the chargers that have been levied against them to such a degree that he went to New York two weeks in events, anticipating being arrested, that he would.
Turn himself in.
Then they wouldn't even give him an opportunity to turn himself in, because they met him at.
A hotel in New York City where they.
Cuffed him and gave him that perp walk outside, and then thereafter they denied him bail, not just once, but twice.
Every word, I just uttered this fact. It's not painting a picture in the narrative and trying to create some kind of imagery or vision of Diddy. That's Ditty right there. That's him.
That's not a painted image of him. That's really him when he was arrested, that was really him, when the Fens came and get him.
That was really the beds when he was placed in the jail seller Brooklyn. It's not a movie, it's not a video. It's really him.
And now the world is transfixed on the music industry in Hollywood, if for no other reason to see.
Whether he will fall, will there be others?
And if there are others, is it because he is going to take others down with him unless he's completely exonerated. That's the story and one of the things we have to get out of right now, Right here and now is the lynching part.
We ain't gonna go there. Racism exists everywhere. That is true.
It doesn't matter how rich you are, how broke, you're going to experience it in this world in some capacity that is undeniable. But this man is worth over half a billion dollars. He's run Bad Boy Entertainment.
He starred in TV shows and movies and on commercials. He's been a leader.
In a prolific industry, notice the music industry, hip hop. For all the maladies, for all the negativity that comes.
Associated with racism, when did that apply to him?
By the way, when we talk about things like that, we know he's one of the biggest Democratic donors, right, one of the biggest proponents of getting out the vote.
Right, once given the Key.
To the City less than two years ago in New York City, the Key to the City. Right, politicians clamoring for his support throughout the years. Right, how are you gonna bring up lynching after all that, I'm just looking at my studio, am I right? And bringing that up?
How are you gonna do that? We, respectfully, missus Combs, we can't do that. Heal not here.
I hope he's innocent of what he's accused of. I met Diddy at basketball games.
I saw him. I even took a picture with him once in the Golden State Warrior his game years ago, had a picture of me and him hanging up in my house. I was happy to meet Diddy.
I knew how great he was and what he's done for the music industry and what he's done for.
So many hip hop artists. Can't do that right now.
He's got to prove his innocence, and until he does that, none of what you said applies.
Mama, Combs. Do you know why.
Because your mama, no one's gonna believe your objective. No one's gonna believe your fact base. Cassie Venture was assaulted on video. Even you acknowledged in your statement he is imperfect. Well, what the government is saying is how many imperfections do you need to see?
Because we got something to show you what all those imperspections.
You're talking as if you know, well, there are many people that do things wrong, and the last people who would know are their parents, because.
That's the last people they would want to see them doing the wrongdoings. They said freak offs.
You're not implying that you knew about those things, are you? I know that you're not doing that. No mother would any man that I know throughout life that in this gauge, at any level of promisecurity whatsoever. Mama might know in general that's his tendency, but see ain't in eye witness to it, because.
The last person you want to see that kind of behavior is your mama. Y'all feel me? Am I making sense?
Do not even get a poll out there and put a poll up to ask who if Stephen ain't making sense I am.
I'm not rooting for anyone innocent to go through what he did. He is going through and if he is innocent, I pray that he is.
I wish him nothing but freedom and the best and to go on with his life if he's innocent.
But if he's guilty, there are a plethora of victims. I telled you the girlfriend ex girlfriend, Cassie Ventura. There are.
Male sex workers that have been mentioned in all of this. There are others women that claim to be assaulted and raped.
And forced to and compel to do some of the things that he wanted them to do.
All I'm saying, is the last person who would know about such details of such heinous transgressions, albeit allegedly the last.
Person who would know that on a part of a man is his mama. I would ask y'all of my making sense, But you know I am.
Those statements from somebody in the music industry who worked with them, who was his in a circle or something like.
That would be different.
Nobody is gonna attach objective credibility or believe objective credibility is coming from the accused mama. It just ain't gonna happen. It just ain't gonna happen. Coming out the New York York Liberty are standing at the doorstep of a championship.
But first I've got to get props.
Believe it or not, to the New York Mets and a Phillies and what they're doing this postseason.
It's not what you think. It's not literally about the games. It's about something else. You need to hear it from me, you'll understand where.
I'm coming from. Stick around last segment of The Stephen A. Smith Show coming up and the Welcome Back to the Stephen A. Smith Show. Let's get to a couple of more sports stories before we get to your tweets and I get on out of here for the day. First up, I'll start with baseball in the National League Division Series between the Mets and the Phillies, where the division rivals are putting on the show for the fans. The series is tied one to one after Philly walked off last night following the Mets tying the game in the ninth inning. Let me explain something to y'all why I wanted to bring up the subject. Yes, the Mets have been exciting. Yes, every single game there's been somebody trailing in the eighth inning and then something miraculous happens to end the game.
Whether it would be the Mets.
Versus Milwaukee in the first series, or is the Mets going up against the Phillies right now in the divisional playoff series. You don't forget about show Hey O Tany and the Dodgers going up against.
The San Diego Padres.
Don't forget about the Yankees and Weaver looking like he Marianna Rivera for one night against the Royds.
Don't forget any of that stuff.
But here's what I would say to you that I love when we look at baseball, whether it's shifting rules, whether it's the pitch count, whether.
It's the clock, et cetera.
It's invited more athleticism into the game of baseball, and the game of baseball has become incredibly exciting. I'm looking at the Mets and the Phillies talks Matt to one another. Okay, I'm looking at stuff like that, and then I'm seeing instead of Oh, the pitcher's gonna hit the next batter because he didn't like the way somebody said than him or something along those lines, we're seeing kats go up there and go at one another in the sport of baseball. This is the kind of stuff that builds fandom.
This is the kind of.
Stuff that you get that get you excited about the competition. And that's what I love for what I'm seeing from the New York Mets. They'll never say die. They could be down in the seventh and the eighth and the ninth and then they come back to God, wonna come back than anybody in Major League Baseball in season.
This is what they do. They don't relent, they don't give up. They fight until the last drop.
And the Phillies ain't far behind with Costallanos, with Bryce Harper and the rest of the career.
I moved to on those boys. They are no joke.
Either's the first time the Phillies and the Mets going up against one another in the postseason, obviously because of the advent of the wild card spots the first one and then the second one over the last couple of years. So you can do that now, whereas before, playing in the same division ensured that you wouldn't be able to meet with another.
But times have changed.
Baseball, for once, isn't the last to the party, you know, conspicuously, They literally are making a run to generate fandom and to build a fan base.
The games have sped up.
This more stolen bases, there's more run production, okay, and you're not as reliant on the home run in order to manufacture runs. I only have one wish for baseball, and this is for the manager, is for the players, is for everybody.
Damn it beat each other, no intention of walks.
Don't have people get stuck in traffic trying to pack fifty sixty thousand into a baseball stadium, looking forward to seeing some of their favorite baseball players, and then all of a sudden, you come up to bat, whether you are an Aaron Judge or show Hal Tani or Mookie Betts on anybody in between, and guess what you get to intentionally walk them eradicate that, test their manhood, say you are professional, you are a professional.
You go up against each other, mono and mono. Let's get it on.
Baseball gets rid of the intentional walk. They eradicate that, and they go about the business of.
Going at one another and competing against one another.
That would be the finishing touch to resurrecting this sport for the next generation, meaning.
This one right now.
Could you imagine back in the day if you had walked up to Randy Johnson and you had said to him, or a Roger Clemens or someone along those lines.
Or of Maddox and of Glavin in one of those boys, and.
He said, you know what, we don't want you pitching to maguire, We don't want you pitching the Barry Bonds. We want you to intentionally walk them. They'd have looked at you like you was an alien, like you were an alien. They'll tell you to get the hell out there, Dan face.
That is what baseball needs. That kind of attitude. Let's get it on.
No intention of walks. That's the one thing they need to fix. And watch the game sore even more.
I'm telling you what I know. I'm telling you what I know.
Now let's get to the WNBA with a New York Liberty or once again headed to the finals. New York eliminated the two time defending champion Las Vegas Aces yesterday seventy six sixty two. The Liberty will led by Sabrina and that school dropped twenty two on the ass. Now, this is the sixth time the Liberty have made the finals where history doesn't seem to favor them.
They have never won a title. You better damn well win. Now.
You take out Asia Wilson and Kelsey Plumb and Gray and the rest of the crew, but you can't beat the Connecticut Son or the Minnesota LINKX to somebody, you got your damn mind. You better handle your business. Better handle your business. This is the time for the New York Liberty. You understand Brionna Stewart balling away that she does your next school.
You know how much you love Kobe.
You know how proud he was that you he's watching go out there and do your thing like I know you will. Liberty Stand up, New York, stand up. You're about to bring a championship to New York.
I believe in the Liberty. You gotta get it done, though.
Can't beat the Vegas Aces and lose to somebody else. Can't beat Asia Wilson and lose to somebody else.
No, don't want to do that. Don't want to do that. Okay, handle your business. This is your time. This is your time, New York. Handled this business.
Now We've got Minnesota, all right, going up against you know, Connecticut, and the winner takes on the Liberty for the championship.
New York stand up. I'm gonna leave it at that.
Before I get to my tweets, I gotta take a moment to give a shout out to one of my newest colleagues, NBA reporter Sham Sharaniah, who'll be joining ESPN as our senior NBA insider effective immediately.
You'll see him on television Thursday morning. Don't miss it.
He's filling the shoes of the great Adrian wolj n Earowski. You I had the pleasure of working with over the last several years, who decided to retire from the business in order to take over sports at Saint Ponaventure University is alma mater. First things first, there's only one Woges and on this particular day, I'm gonna give props and love and deference to him because he did a phenomenal job for ESPN over the years and deserve so much credit for the work that he has done.
He will always be a friend of this show.
He will always be a credit to the industry, and all of us who have covered the NBA will never fail to show our appreciation for the marvelous work that woj did throughout the years in leading all of the insiders in terms of his connections, the breaking stories, and the storylines that he helped contribute it to a myriad of shows grace in the airwaves of ESPN and ABC throughout the years. Major props to him and I'm always have love for my man Woj. I don't know Sham Sharania, Here's what I will tell you about him. He's one of the best in the business and if there was an ideal replacement for Adrian woj Narowski.
It is him. The man has his contacts, he has his sources, he knows what he's talking about. He's very well connected.
He's young, but he puts in the work, he gets on his grind and he does what's necessary.
To be that guy. There was no greater competitor to Wolge.
In the business in the modern era than Sean Sharania and the fact that he is now coming to ESPN is something that I welcome, that I think we all should welcome, and I'm looking forward to welcoming him as the newest member of the ESPN family. Congrats to him, long overdue, well deserved. Nobody comes before Woge in my mind, but this brother right here is a welcomed addition to the ESPN family. I think you've seen him on several occasions on the Pat McAfee show throughout the years. Now you'll see him gracing the airwaves of the Pat McAfee showing other shows on ESPN, and we will more than welcome him to the platform. We wish him nothing but the best, and we're all teammates, so I'm looking forward to having them on board.
Now.
I got some tweets to get too before we get on out of here for the day, because y'all like to tweet me from time to time. So let's get it on. Let's see what these tweets to saying. First up at Sunday dreads, right, stephen A, who would you call if you had to fight Undertaker one versus two?
At Survivor Series one verses two? That what it is? Who would I call? Well, let me ask you this question. Is that right now? Is that right now? Because I would tell you. First on my list would be the Rock?
Can you just make.
What the Rock is cooking? Yes, it would be him.
And if it was younger, like let's say a decade ago, I would call Goldberg.
Those would be my two choices. Those would be my two choices. Okay, Next up?
What you got at sports guys showing zero right, stephen A Smith?
If the Jets go to two and four, would it even be worth it to go after Davontae Adams?
I say yes, this is seventeen game season. I will go after Davonte Adams. I got Aaron Rodgers, I got Garrett Wilson. I don't know what the hell is going on with Breese Hall or why Robert Salah ain't running running the football with him more. It doesn't make any sense to me. I don't understand it, but I think that's a coaching issue. But even that, I'm still gonna hold Aaron Rodgers accountable because you know, the offense belongs to him and Nathaniel hack It. But I would tell you Davonte Adams being back, with Aaron Rodgers and Garrett Wilson being in that lineup, I think it would make the Jets significantly more formidable. I think their defense is e leade enough. If you gave them anything offensively, they can make some noise for you. You still have would have eleven games to go if you're two and four, and I'll say that would be absolutely fine. That would be more than enough time to win the AFC East and to make some noise in the playoffs.
You damn right. You go and get Davonte.
Adams if you can next up at LUCA Underscore twenty one to twenty four.
Let's see this here, Stephen A. Smith.
Who would you rather have as a duo partner, Shaq or Lebron in fortnite?
Hmm? Is a tough one. It's a tough one.
I wanna say Lebron, But I like my life and I wanna live, and I don't want Shack to kill me. But I can't be scared of Shack killing me and compromise my integrity and telling the truth. When I think about Fortnite Lebron, See, when I think about Shaq, I think about power and dominance. When I think about Lebron, I think about versatility, and I like versatility, but also like power.
Hmm. I'm thinking. I'm thinking.
I'm thinking I'm gonna go with Shack because I'm gonna go with power and dominance and I'll handle the other stuff if I were his teammate. What do I need but so much versatility for when I got this level of dominance. You see what I'm saying. That's how I'm gonna go.
Over there.
Come here for a second. Let me ask my little nephew. Come on over here, little nephew. Ay, hurry up, man, birthday boy, come here, man, Look at to the camp, look at too the camera.
Man. This is my little twelve year old great nephew right here, just turned twelve years old. Yesterday's name is Jase. Say what something? Man? Say what's something? Say? What's up? Okay? Now who should I pick here? Tell me that man?
No, no, no, no, you guys be coming there, Come closer to me because they can't hear you, so speaking to my microphone, right here, go ahead.
Go ahead.
According to my Fortnite colculations, Lebron would be a better pick because Shaq has a bigger hip box, because his waist is bigger, and Lebron is.
Slimmer, and so because Lebron is slimmer and has a smaller hit bite, it's harder to hit him.
Yeah, I'm gonna go with my little nephew here. That's what he told me to do. So that's what I'm go do. Way to go, boy, way to go. Get out of here. Get out of here, my little nephew, he said, Lebron smaller him. I got it. We gonna roll with him. Let's go with the last one, right here, Please, let's go with the last one. Book it with Trent. There we go.
This boy from Prizepects, I remember him. I had him on to show you. It was a good guest too, Stephen A.
Smith.
Remember you told me this was an absolute donation, Josh Allen last twelve and a half past interceptions. Yes, I said he would have more, right, don't they have about twelve games left? Don't you think you need to wait a few weeks, book it with Trent before you come at me.
You know you're usually wrong, right. Pump the breaks, bruh, Pump the breaks.
I understand. You know we got a little connection here. Prospects is very very important to us. Ain't now but love for you. But pump the breaks, broh. We got twelve games to go, this time for Josh Allen to throw more than twelve and a half interceptions. There is time mcdermot's is still coaching. And remember that almost throwing to the wolves the other night. I'm just saying that's it for this addition to Stephen A.
Smith Show. I got to get on out of here.
I hope you all enjoyed the show. I'll be back with you in a few days. Until then, peace of love. Everybody is your boy.
Signing off,
